Right Wing Discussion Thread XIV: Join the Friendkorps

[Snottistan]

The social justice crowd seems to like this [x] thing. Eg. Latinx, womxn, folx are all spellings I've seen. X is an edgy letter, so it looks countercultural.

Womyn and womon are sometimes used too.

Womxn is stupid for plenty of reasons but one in particular is that I don't know if you're referring to one womxn or several womxn.

[Kowani]

But seriously, I've never seen any of those outside of Latinx, and that's only because English kind of expects a gender-neutral plural for that kind of thing, like how we adopted "them" for the same effect.

...Was my entire comment just ignored?

[Valrifell]

But seriously, I've never seen any of those outside of Latinx, and that's only because English kind of expects a gender-neutral plural for that kind of thing, like how we adopted "them" for the same effect.

...Was my entire comment just ignored?

I didn't see it, soz ;-;

[Kowani]

...Was my entire comment just ignored?

I didn't see it, soz ;-;

Sobs.

[Proctopeo]

But seriously, I've never seen any of those outside of Latinx, and that's only because English kind of expects a gender-neutral plural for that kind of thing, like how we adopted "them" for the same effect.

"Latinx" is a terrible way to go about it, though. There's "latin" or even "latine".

[Salus Maior]

The social justice crowd seems to like this [x] thing. Eg. Latinx, womxn, folx are all spellings I've seen. X is an edgy letter, so it looks countercultural.

Womyn and womon are sometimes used too.

Womxn is stupid for plenty of reasons but one in particular is that I don't know if you're referring to one womxn or several womxn.

Thanks, I hate it.

[Bienenhalde]

It basically sounds like a way to call someone a nigger with the added benefit of making an already hard to understand language (to me) even harder. Genderless words are appropriate when needed, but trying to eradicate how a language has operated for quite some time...is unironically imperialist.

As a Spaniard, I would like to add a point. At least in Spain, there is a growing acceptance, both from governments and the everyday people, to degender the language, at least while writing on official forms, social media, and various other aspects of life. An example: Chic@s (Yes, the @ is purposeful.) is considered the neutral version now. Mind you, while speaking, it doesn’t work and we default back to the male gender. However, on social media, the use of “x” is more common. Todxs So, it’s not as baseless as you anglophones make it out to be.

Good point. But here in America, people actually pronounce the "x", whether due to ignorance, or perhaps as a deliberate way to signal "wokeness". Furthermore, in English, most nouns are not gendered and nouns can end in consonants instead of vowels. And as I pointed out previously, we already have the gender neutral term "Latin(s)", even though it has been out of use for some time in American English.

[Napkiraly]

But seriously, I've never seen any of those outside of Latinx, and that's only because English kind of expects a gender-neutral plural for that kind of thing, like how we adopted "them" for the same effect.

"Latinx" is a terrible way to go about it, though. There's "latin" or even "latine".

Or just keep it Latino.

[Western Vale Confederacy]

"Latinx" is a terrible way to go about it, though. There's "latin" or even "latine".

Or just keep it Latino.

Latin, the end.

[Kowani]

As a Spaniard, I would like to add a point. At least in Spain, there is a growing acceptance, both from governments and the everyday people, to degender the language, at least while writing on official forms, social media, and various other aspects of life. An example: Chic@s (Yes, the @ is purposeful.) is considered the neutral version now. Mind you, while speaking, it doesn’t work and we default back to the male gender. However, on social media, the use of “x” is more common. Todxs So, it’s not as baseless as you anglophones make it out to be.

Good point. But here in America, people actually pronounce the "x", whether due to ignorance, or perhaps as a deliberate way to signal "wokeness". Furthermore, in English, most nouns are not gendered and nouns can end in consonants instead of vowels. And as I pointed out previously, we already have the gender neutral term "Latin(s)", even though it has been out of use for some time in American English.

Bleeehhhh...

[Dumb Ideologies]

Languages don't need degendering. How self-centred do you need to be to take thousands of years of linguistic history personally and demand that it get changed now or you'll be offended?

[Frievolk]

Languages don't need degendering. How self-centred do you need to be to take thousands of years of linguistic history personally and demand that it get changed now or you'll be offended?

Languages change all the time, and often for that very reason tho. I mean, sure, the "degendering because some SJW libruls get offended" interpretation might sound cool, but in truth, "we don't wanna use the language like this so we're changing it" has been around for similar reasons forever.

[Dumb Ideologies]

Languages don't need degendering. How self-centred do you need to be to take thousands of years of linguistic history personally and demand that it get changed now or you'll be offended?

Languages change all the time, and often for that very reason tho. I mean, sure, the "degendering because some SJW libruls get offended" interpretation might sound cool, but in truth, "we don't wanna use the language like this so we're changing it" has been around for similar reasons forever.

Languages tend to drift over time due to use and evolution. Focused, politically-motivated demands for short-term changes aren't the norm. It's why official French attempts to remove English influence and loan words from their language get such eyerolls, for example.

[Aellex]

Languages change all the time, and often for that very reason tho. I mean, sure, the "degendering because some SJW libruls get offended" interpretation might sound cool, but in truth, "we don't wanna use the language like this so we're changing it" has been around for similar reasons forever.

Languages tend to drift over time due to use and evolution. Focused, politically-motivated demands for short-term changes aren't the norm. It's why official French attempts to remove English influence and loan words from their language get such eyerolls, for example.

They don't tho, funnily enough, and actually are quite efficient at achieving their goal.
To be fair tho, the fact that we have an almost half a millenia old academy in charge of defining the correct language and centuries of tradition of suppressing others languages might help.

[Autarkheia]

English didn't need to drop its case markings a thousand years ago, Russian didn't need to drop several letters a hundred years ago and Chinese didn't need to simplify its characters sixty years ago and yet here we are.

[Dumb Ideologies]

English didn't need to drop its case markings a thousand years ago, Russian didn't need to drop several letters a hundred years ago and Chinese didn't need to simplify its characters sixty years ago and yet here we are.

It has usually been the result of changes in technology (e.g. the printing press) or moves towards increasing literacy leading to a drive for standardisation and simplification, or a mechanism for authoritarian-minded governments to intervene more deeply in society and increase their power.

My understanding is that "I'm offended" as a reasoning is a fairly novel one. Might be talking outta my butt here because I'm not a linguist, but it seems different.

[Painisia]

I propose that RWDT should become a region

[Frievolk]

English didn't need to drop its case markings a thousand years ago, Russian didn't need to drop several letters a hundred years ago and Chinese didn't need to simplify its characters sixty years ago and yet here we are.

It has usually been the result of changes in technology (e.g. the printing press) or moves towards increasing literacy leading to a drive for standardisation and simplification, or a mechanism for authoritarian-minded governments to intervene more deeply in society and increase their power.

My understanding is that "I'm offended" as a reasoning is a fairly novel one. Might be talking outta my butt here because I'm not a linguist, but it seems different.

While I personally doubt that "I'm offended" as a reason to change a language is actually new, given the sort of shit people did when they were offended a mere century ago, considering the general reasoning prior to that was "I'm lazy" (or a deviation thereof), I'd say "I'm offended" is actually as good a reason as any to change a language.

[Autarkheia]

My understanding is that "I'm offended" as a reasoning is a fairly novel one. Might be talking outta my butt here because I'm not a linguist, but it seems different.

RWDT is probably not the best place to say this but novel doesn't mean bad. Besides, there are lots of words that have been changed because they were offensive - look how many euphemisms for "shit" there are in English, or for "Jesus". There was a time when it was too offensive to say the phrase God's hooks (meaning nails) so that was changed to gazooks. It's an ongoing process and it just happens to be about gender because we don't care that much about religion anymore but we care more about sexism.

[Kaggeceria]

The social justice crowd seems to like this [x] thing. Eg. Latinx, womxn, folx are all spellings I've seen. X is an edgy letter, so it looks countercultural.

Honestly, it would have been nice if they would have picked letters that are actually easy to pronounce in those words.

How the fuck do you pronounce "Latinx"?

And do any large number of Latinos even support it or is just one of those fancy new things that nobody asked for but we're now supposed to believe everyone wants?

[Dumb Ideologies]

It has usually been the result of changes in technology (e.g. the printing press) or moves towards increasing literacy leading to a drive for standardisation and simplification, or a mechanism for authoritarian-minded governments to intervene more deeply in society and increase their power.

My understanding is that "I'm offended" as a reasoning is a fairly novel one. Might be talking outta my butt here because I'm not a linguist, but it seems different.

While I personally doubt that "I'm offended" as a reason to change a language is actually new, given the sort of shit people did when they were offended a mere century ago, considering the general reasoning prior to that was "I'm lazy" (or a deviation thereof), I'd say "I'm offended" is actually as good a reason as any to change a language.

The logic here seems to be to refer to historical examples where fairly rapid changes occurred to suggest that such things have happened before and are therefore (presumably) legitimate to happen again.

But the social and economic benefits of standardising and simplifying the language for mass literacy and consumption of the written word represent quite the social imperative. That kind of imperative isn't matched by the current situation where a small but loud minority demand that the language be clumsily rewritten to protect their feelings.

So I disagree on "as good a reason as any". It does not seem as though there is really as strong a justification to submit to the changes demanded today as there was historically. The material circumstances are quite different.

[Dumb Ideologies]

I propose that RWDT should become a region

Initially misread this as "religion", disappointed.

[Painisia]

I propose that RWDT should become a region

Initially misread this as "religion", disappointed.

RWDT: Getting Back Your Religion

[Autarkheia]

How the fuck do you pronounce "Latinx"?

Like "Latino" but the letter x. Like, ecks. Yes, it's bad.

And do any large number of Latinos even support it or is just one of those fancy new things that nobody asked for but we're now supposed to believe everyone wants?

Not that I can see, which is one reason why it's cringy.

[Reikoku]

I propose that RWDT should become a region

Initially misread this as "religion", disappointed.

I bless this thread in the name of the Fahran, the Rei, and the Holy Lumi.